April 2025 Auction

Yamazaki Age Unknown

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

Selected from the finest barrels in the Yamazaki aging warehouses, this was produced in celebration of the life of Keizo Saji and his receipt of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. 

Bottled in 1989, the whisky is exclusively 25 years or older, but is otherwise 'Age Unknown', and drawn from the Yamazaki reserve stock. Some sources estimate the stock to be older than 30 years.

One of 300 bottles.

Yamazaki 1984 Suntory Vintage Malt

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This whisky was distilled in 1984 and bottled in 2004.

Part of the Suntory Vintage Malt series that aimed to bottle a whiskies to be enjoyed by those with sentimental attachments to the years in which they were distilled.

Yamazaki Age Unknown

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

Selected from the finest barrels in the Yamazaki aging warehouses, this was produced in celebration of the life of Keizo Saji and his receipt of the Order of the Sacred Treasure. 

Bottled in 1989, the whisky is exclusively 25 years or older, but is otherwise 'Age Unknown', and drawn from the Yamazaki reserve stock. Some sources estimate the stock to be older than 30 years.

One of 300 bottles.

Old Fitzgerald 1917 Bottled in Bond Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

This is a historic bottling of the Old Fitzgerald brand, produced shortly after it came under the ownership of the legendary Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I, who bought it for the princely sum of $10,000 from Old Judge distillery at the close of prohibition in 1933.

It is a fantastic old  Prohibition era bottling of Kentucky straight bourbon whisky. Although the Volstead Act of 1919 had banned the production and sale of alcohol throughout the US, a certain number of distilling companies were permitted to continue bottling existing stock, mostly for medicinal use, but also for weekly baking rations.

One such company was A. Ph. Stitzel Inc, who procured this particular barrel from the Old Charter distillery (operated by Wright & Taylor). This distillery was one of the majority that were forced to close after prohibition was enacted, selling off their stock to companies like A. Ph. Stitzel who bottled this for their business partners, W.L. Weller and Sons.

A. Ph. Stitzel survived Prohibition, and was one of the few to emerge with a functioning distillery, refinancing themselves after the difficult 13 dry years by contract distilling for other companies as well, including the juggernaut Schenley corporation. They would of course would go on to merge with Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle's W.L. Weller company to create the legendary Stitzel-Weller. This was bottled in 1929.

Nowadays made at Heaven Hill, Old Fitzgerald is one of the classics of the bourbon world. The mid-20th century Stitzel-Weller distilled products are incredibly sought after, but this is a fantastically rare chance own a bottle dating from its more humble beginnings, as the genesis of one of American whiskey's greatest stories. While the Old Charter distillery did not survive Prohibition, its namesake brand certainly did and was produced by Schenley for most of the 20th century before passing to current owners, Sazerac.

Very Olde St Nick 18 Year Old Bourbon Lot #F107 / KBD

The Very Olde St Nick brand is owned by InterBev, a subsidiary of Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection and Wattie Boone. Its president, Marci Palatella has been sourcing barrels and bottling them for several decades. She was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market in the 1980 and 1990s, and devised the Very Olde St Nick brand to capitalise on the Japanese demand for well-aged bourbon, which fortuitously was not popular in the US. Her first bottles were produced for her by Van Winkle at his Old Commonwealth bottling facility in the late 1980s.

At this time however, Van Winkle did not have a wealth of aged stock in his warehouses, and Palatella instead turned to Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who bottled Olde St Nick throughout the 1990s and early 2000s at the then-silent Willett distillery in Bardstown. KBD sourced most of their barrels from neighbours, Heaven Hill, although Kulsveen had joked in the past that their warehouses contained bourbon from every distillery in Kentucky except his own. Van Winkle was not finished with the Very Olde St Nick story however, and put Palatella in touch with representatives at United Distillers who sold InterBev a number of ageing casks that they no longer had any interest in. Much of this was placed into a steel tanks and warehoused in California to prevent any further maturation. 

When KBD fired up the still at Willett again in 2012, they began sourcing less casks from elsewhere, reserving the best stock for their own Willett Family Reserve label. Essentially cut off, the production of Very Olde St Nick moved to California where some of the tanked Stitzel-Weller casks were bottled by Frank-Lin Distillers.

In 2018, Palatella opened the Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. A small craft-distillery operating a pot still, its produces only a few barrels each day. The bottling of Very Olde St Nick now takes places there, and will eventually contain the distillery's own whiskey.

This 18 year old bourbon was bottled by KBD and exported to Japan.

Old Heaven Hill 21 Year Old Ultra Premium 1990s

Heaven Hill was established by a group of private investors in 1935, following the repeal of Prohibition a few years earlier. Among the founders was distiller, Joseph L. Beam, and a member of the Shapira family. As the company grew, the Shapira's eventually acquired sole ownership of it, and their descendants still run it today. In a similar dynastic vein, Joe Beam remained master distiller despite the Shapira takeover, and members of his family have occupied the role ever since. This was produced at the Old Heavenhill Springs distillery, later renamed simply as Heaven Hill, which was located in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was sadly lost in a devastating fire in 1996, and bourbon made there has become increasingly sought after as the years pass. The company had no distillery for the next three years, but were permitted to rent stills at Jim Beam and Brown-Forman in order to maintain production. They eventually acquired the newly refurbished Bernheim distillery from Diageo in 1999, which has been their home ever since.

This is one of several high-end offerings produced by Heaven Hill for Japan in the 1990s. The cognac-style bottles and dripping wax presentation was particularly popular there, pioneered by Gordon Hue and Julian Van Winkle III. The Heaven Hill Ultra Premium likely dates from the early 1990s, prior to the cease and desist letters regarding the dripping red wax being issued by Maker's Mark.

Very Olde St Nick Winter Rye Lot #R615

The Very Olde St Nick brand is owned by InterBev, a subsidiary of Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection and Wattie Boone. Its president, Marci Palatella has been sourcing barrels and bottling them for several decades. She was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market in the 1980 and 1990s, and devised the Very Olde St Nick brand to capitalise on the Japanese demand for well-aged bourbon, which fortuitously was not popular in the US. Her first bottles were produced for her by Van Winkle at his Old Commonwealth bottling facility in the late 1980s.

At this time, however, Van Winkle did not have a wealth of aged stock in his warehouses, and Palatella instead turned to Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who bottled Olde St Nick throughout the 1990s and early 2000s at the then-silent Willett distillery in Bardstown. KBD sourced most of their barrels from neighbours, Heaven Hill, although Kulsveen had joked in the past that their warehouses contained bourbon from every distillery in Kentucky except his own. Van Winkle was not finished with the Very Olde St Nick story however, and put Palatella in touch with representatives at United Distillers who sold InterBev a number of ageing casks that they no longer had any interest in. Much of this was placed into a steel tanks and warehoused in California to prevent any further maturation. 

When KBD fired up the still at Willett again in 2012, they began sourcing less casks from elsewhere, reserving the best stock for their own Willett Family Reserve label. Essentially cut off, the production of Very Olde St Nick moved to California where some of the tanked Stitzel-Weller casks were bottled by Frank-Lin Distillers.

In 2018, Palatella opened the Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. A small craft-distillery operating a pot still, its produces only a few barrels each day. The bottling of Very Olde St Nick now takes places there, and will eventually contain the distillery's own whiskey.

Yoichi 1988 Single Cask #100215 / LMDW

A Japanese single malt bottling from Nikka's flagship distillery in Hokkaido. Nikka was founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, a former Suntory employee who had studied at the University of Glasgow, and later trained as a blender at the now lost Hazelburn distillery in Campbeltown.  Taketsuru opened the Yoichi distillery in the same year as establishing the company, modelling its pot stills on the long-necked design of the Longmorn stills in Speyside.

This whisky was distilled on 14th June 1988 and laid to rest in single cask #100215 before being bottled on 8th July 2013 exclusively for La Maison du Whisky of Paris, France.

Very Old Fitzgerald 1955 Bottled in Bond 8 Year Old 100 Proof Half Pint / Stitzel-Weller

Originally registered as \"Jno. E. Fitzgerald,\" the Old Fitzgerald brand was devised by S.C. Hebst in 1870. Hebst was a rectifier by trade (using grain neutral spirit with colouring and flavourings to make \"whiskey\"), but he also had a passion for sourcing high quality barrels of pot still bourbon and rye, which he bottled as Jno. E. Fitzgerald. When the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was passed, rectified whiskey fell out of favour and Hebst went into the distilling business, purchasing a distillery which he named Old Judge after his best-selling flagship brand. Old Judge did not survive Prohibition however, and Hebst sold the Old Fitzgerald brand for just $10,000 to a former customer, a certain Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, who was sourcing label for his new Stitzel-Weller venture. Van Winkle had a near-religious belief in the importance of quality above all else in the bourbon he produced and under his guidance, Old Fitzgerald became and remains to this day, one of the most sought-after and respected labels in American whiskey. Stitzel-Weller was eventually shut down by United Distillers, and as their successor, Diageo, sold the Old Fitzgerald brand was sold to current owners, Heaven Hill.

This is the 8 year old Very Old Fitzgerald, distilled at Stitzel-Weller in 1955 and bottled in 1963. While under his management, 'Pappy' Van Winkle refused to bottle Old Fitzgerald at anything less than the domestic requirement of 100 proof, set out by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2013

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

Mizunara (Japanese Oak) is famous for imparting its own characteristics onto the whisky stored within them such as sandalwood and other notes. This was released in 2013.

Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old 1996 / Stitzel-Weller

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

The 10 year old Handmade Bourbon is one of the original Old Rip Van Winkle brands, first bottled by Julian Van Winkle III in 1980s. He bottled this one at Old Commonwealth using Stitzel-Weller barrels in 1996.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene, with the blending company John Hopkins & Co, under license from DCL, introduced a 12 year old expression back in 1979. The newly launched Oban single malt brand was introduced alongside a new 14 year old distillery bottling in 1988, when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

This  16 year old sherry cask whisky was selected in 1994, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Oban distillery.

Oban 16 Year Old Manager's Dram Bicentenary 1994

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene, with the blending company John Hopkins & Co, under license from DCL, introduced a 12 year old expression back in 1979. The newly launched Oban single malt brand was introduced alongside a new 14 year old distillery bottling in 1988, when the distillery was selected by United Distillers to represent the Western Highlands in the Classic Malts range.

The Manager’s Dram series of whiskies were bottled exclusively for employees of what is now known as Diageo.  These whiskies were selected by the respective distillery managers within Diageo malt distilling and bottled at natural cask strength.

This  16 year old sherry cask whisky was selected in 1994, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Oban distillery.

Old Taylor 1915 Bottled in Bond Pint / Prohibition Era Bottling

Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr is considered one of the true bourbon pioneers. Born in 1830, he was orphaned at the age of five and was adopted by his uncle, Edmund Haynes Taylor Snr, who rechristened him as his junior. E.H. Taylor Jr is also referred to as Colonel Taylor due to his holding of the honourary title of Kentucky Colonel, something he shares with a number of state's distinguished sons, most notably a certain fried chicken vendor. Throughout his career, Taylor set up and owned seven different distilleries, and his lobbying for the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 has seen him considered as \"the father of modern bourbon.\" Ten years earlier, having sold his stake in the OFC distillery (now Buffalo Trace), to George T. Stagg, he set up the Old Taylor distillery near Frankfort in Kentucky. The distillery featured a faux-Castle and sunken gardens on-site, and was the birthplace of bourbon tourism. Here he established the Old Taylor brand, which following Prohibition passed into the hands of National Distillers, one of the \"big four\" distilling companies who dominated the post-repeal market. The distillery itself closed in 1972, but production was moved to the neighbouring Old Grand-dad site until National Distillers were acquired by Jim Beam in 1987, who converted it into a warehousing and bottling facility. Beam marketed the brand alongside the other \"Olds\" from the National Distiller portfolio (Old Crow and Old Grand-dad) until 2009 when the Sazerac Company acquired it, returning Taylor's name to his early spiritual home at Buffalo Trace.

This was distilled at the Old Taylor Castle distillery in Frankfort in 1915. It closed three years later due to the Lever Food & Fuel Act and did not re-open until acquired by the American Medicinal Spirits Company in 1927. They bottled this during Prohibition in 1933 using their medicinal license.

The American Medicinal Spirits Company was one of only six distilling companies to survive Prohibition of the 434 that existed prior. Exploiting the medicinal loophole was the brainchild of Otto Wathen, then president of his father's R.E. Wathen distillery and it was an idea that continues to prove its value today in the persisting image of his still ever-popular portfolio, which included the bourbon classic, Old Grand-dad. The AMS Co was eventually taken over by National Distillers who reorganised it in 1927, incorporating their Kentucky Distilleries & Warehouse Co, R.E. Wathen & Co, Hill & Hill, and E.H. Taylor & Sons.

Yamazaki Mizunara Cask 2012

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This 2012 limited edition has been matured in Japanese Mizunara oak casks.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Cask / Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This 18 year old has been entirely matured in Mizunara oak casks, and bottled in 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Suntory Whisky.

One of 2,000 bottles.

Old Forester 1995 Birthday Bourbon 2004 Release

Introduced in 1870, Old Forester was the founding product of what is now Brown-Forman and is one of America's historic bourbon brands. It was one of the first to be sold only in sealed bottles, in order to ensure quality control to capitalise on the medicinal whiskey trade in the 19th century. It was even named after local Louisville physician, Dr. William Forrester (they dropped the second 'R' from the name when he retired). This early foresight paid dividends when National Prohibition was enacted in 1920, seeing Brown-Forman granted a license to continue making whiskey. It was one of just six, alongside Glenmore, Frankfort Distilleries, Schenley A. Ph. Stitzel and the American Medicinal Spirits Co. In the decades following repeal, Brown-Forman became one of the nation's leading drinks companies, and Old Forester remained its flagship Kentucky brand. Its distillery in Shively is one of the largest in the state, and in 2018 they opened a dedicated Old Forester distillery on Louisville's famous Whiskey Row, doubling their capacity to produce the brand.

First bottled in 2002, the Birthday Bourbon are released on 2nd September annually to mark the birthday of the distillery's founder, George Garvin Brown. This is the 2004 release.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Cask / Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This 18 year old has been entirely matured in Mizunara oak casks, and bottled in 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Suntory Whisky.

One of 2,000 bottles.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Cask / Suntory Whisky 100th Anniversary

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This 18 year old has been entirely matured in Mizunara oak casks, and bottled in 2023 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Suntory Whisky.

One of 2,000 bottles.

Yoichi Limited Edition 2019

A Japanese single malt bottling from Nikka's flagship distillery in Hokkaido. Nikka was founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru, a former Suntory employee who had studied at the University of Glasgow, and later trained as a blender at the now lost Hazelburn distillery in Campbeltown.  Taketsuru opened the Yoichi distillery in the same year as establishing the company, modelling its pot stills on the long-necked design of the Longmorn stills in Speyside.

This 2019 limited edition was produced to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nikka's other famous distillery, Miyagikyo. The whisky itself is a vatting of casks from five different decades, including a portion from the 1960s.

Van Winkle 13 Year Old Family Reserve Rye 2013 

The Old Rip Van Winkle brand was a pre-prohibition bourbon label, revived by the Van Winkle family after they were forced to sell their Stitzel-Weller distillery by its board of directors. New owners, Somerset Imports, granted Julian Van Winkle II (son of the famous 'Pappy') the continued use of an office at the distillery, and first option on purchasing casks to bottle his new brand with. When he died and the business passed to his son, Julian III, this courtesy was no longer extended, and he moved bottling to the old Hoffman distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1983, renaming it Old Commonwealth. He was still able to buy Stitzel-Weller stock though, and introduced the famous Pappy Van Winkle range in homage to his grandfather, using well-aged barrels from the distillery the now-legendary figure once so lovingly ran. When Stitzel-Weller was closed down by United Distillers in 1992, it was only a matter of time before stock would run out. This necessitated a partnership between Julian Van Winkle III and Buffalo Trace distillery in 2002, seeing all bottling move there, initially using the remaining Stitzel-Weller barrels, with these eventually replaced by Buffalo Trace distilled stock. The product from all eras is revered, and the brand is considered to be the first premium bourbon line to have been produced in the US.

As sought after as the other members of the 'family,' this product is the Van Winkle Family Reserve rye.

This is bottle E1071, and was bottled in 2013 when the whiskey was actually now 19 years old, despite the label. The Van Winkle Family Reserve rye actually continued to age in cask until 2004 when it was eventually tanked at Buffalo Trace. They are all labelled as 13 years old regardless.

The Family Reserve Rye is presumed to have been distilled at Medley in Owensboro, and acquired by Julian III through his connection to Stitzel-Weller, as United Distillers closed it down in the same year. The whiskey is also thought to have had the 1980s-distilled \"Cream of Kentucky\" rye from George T. Stagg blended though it prior to being tanked in 2004. The rye was the last of the remaining reserves that Julian Van Winkle III warehoused at Buffalo Trace by the time it finally ran out in 2016. A new batch distilled at Buffalo Trace was first bottled in 2018.

Glass laser-code: B13346 - remainder is obscurred by UK duty sticker.

Old Weller Original 107 Proof 7 Year Old 1979 / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 1979 bottling of the Old Weller, their 107 proof wheated bourbon.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Yamazaki 18 Year Old Mizunara Oak 2024 Edition

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

This Yamazaki was matured entirely in Japanese Mizunara oak casks for 18 years, and bottled in 2024 as part of that year's Tsukuriwake Selection.

Yamazaki Mizunara 2022 Edition

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

Mizunara (Japanese Oak) is famous for imparting its own characteristics onto the whisky stored within them such as sandalwood and other notes. This was released in 2022 as part of the Tsukuriwake selection.

Old Fitzgerald 6 Year Old 1960s / Stitzel-Weller

Originally registered as \"Jno. E. Fitzgerald,\" the Old Fitzgerald brand was devised by S.C. Hebst in 1870. Hebst was a rectifier by trade (using grain neutral spirit with colouring and flavourings to make \"whiskey\"), but he also had a passion for sourcing high quality barrels of pot still bourbon and rye, which he bottled as Jno. E. Fitzgerald. When the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was passed, rectified whiskey fell out of favour and Hebst went into the distilling business, purchasing a distillery which he named Old Judge after his best-selling flagship brand. Old Judge did not survive Prohibition however, and Hebst sold the Old Fitzgerald brand for just $10,000 to a former customer, a certain Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, who was sourcing label for his new Stitzel-Weller venture. Van Winkle had a near-religious belief in the importance of quality above all else in the bourbon he produced and under his guidance, Old Fitzgerald became and remains to this day, one of the most sought-after and respected labels in American whiskey. Stitzel-Weller was eventually shut down by United Distillers, and as their successor, Diageo, sold the Old Fitzgerald brand was sold to current owners, Heaven Hill.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed away in 1941 and 147, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration inverted heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was closed down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Old Weller Original 107 Proof 7 Year Old 1987 / Stitzel-Weller

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This was bottled in 1987 after the distillery had been sold by the Van Winkle family to Somerset Imports. The new owners had actually changed the name of it to Old Fitzgerald (after the flagship brand), but this was later changed back by Diageo.

Nowadays Weller is produced by the Sazerac company at Buffalo Trace, and these old Stitzel-Weller bottlings have become increasingly sought after.

Very Old Fitzgerald 1951 Bottled in Bond 8 Year Old 100 Proof Half Pint / Stitzel-Weller

Originally registered as \"Jno. E. Fitzgerald,\" the Old Fitzgerald brand was devised by S.C. Hebst in 1870. Hebst was a rectifier by trade (using grain neutral spirit with colouring and flavourings to make \"whiskey\"), but he also had a passion for sourcing high quality barrels of pot still bourbon and rye, which he bottled as Jno. E. Fitzgerald. When the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was passed, rectified whiskey fell out of favour and Hebst went into the distilling business, purchasing a distillery which he named Old Judge after his best-selling flagship brand. Old Judge did not survive Prohibition however, and Hebst sold the Old Fitzgerald brand for just $10,000 to a former customer, a certain Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle, who was sourcing label for his new Stitzel-Weller venture. Van Winkle had a near-religious belief in the importance of quality above all else in the bourbon he produced and under his guidance, Old Fitzgerald became and remains to this day, one of the most sought-after and respected labels in American whiskey. Stitzel-Weller was eventually shut down by United Distillers, and as their successor, Diageo, sold the Old Fitzgerald brand was sold to current owners, Heaven Hill.

This is the 8 year old Very Old Fitzgerald, distilled at Stitzel-Weller in 1951 and bottled in 1959. While under his management, 'Pappy' Van Winkle refused to bottle Old Fitzgerald at anything less than the domestic requirement of 100 proof, set out by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. When he stepped back from management in 1964 however, the board put pressure on Julian II to meet the market demand for a lighter style product. In the US, they launched the Old Fitzgerald Prime, however in export markets where the Bottled in Bond law did not apply, they were able to simply reduce the proof as is the case here.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Old Fitzgerald 1961 Bottled in Bond 6 Year Old 100 Proof / Stitzel-Weller

A popular bourbon produced at Stitzel Weller distillery. This is an older bottling of the 6 year old product, bottled in 1966. This would have been distilled at Stitzel-Weller when it was still under the management of the legendary Van Winkle family, and bottled by his son, Julian II.

This is a bottled in bond release. The Bottled in Bond Act in the US legislated that all such bottlings must be 100 US proof. Bottled in 1967.

Oban 1978 Signatory Vintage 18 Year Old #215

Oban is a small distillery, situated in the heart of the high street in the town after which it is named. Although its output is low deliberately low in order to retain its character, it had an early presence on the single malt scene. The license for the distillery was granted to blenders, John Hopkins & Co by owners, DCL, and they introduced a 12 year old release back in 1979. The license was returned to the distillery itself with the inception of the Classic Malts range in 1988, with this 14 year old becoming the the core range product from a newly relaunched Oban single malt brand the following year.

This Oban was distilled in January 1978 and matured for 18 years in single oak cask #215. It was bottled by Signatory Vintage in March 1996.

One of only 272 bottles.

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand 7 Year Old 1990

William Larue Weller was born into a distilling family in Kentucky in 1825, and launched his W.L. Weller brand in 1849. Originally a rectification business (creating 'whiskey' using neutral spirit, colouring and flavourings), this all changed with the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 and the death of Weller two years later. The company was left in the hands of the fiercely passionate Julian 'Pappy' Van Winkle I who, having steered it safely through the wreckage of National Prohibition, established Old Weller alongside the newly acquired Old Fitzgerald labels and the flagship brands for the new Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1933. It was produced there for over 60 years, eventually being sold to the Sazerac Company in 1999, who distil it at Buffalo Trace using Pappy's recipe to this day.

This is a 1990 bottling of the Old Weller Antique, their 107 proof wheated bourbon. This was produced by United Distillers using barrels of Stitzel-Weller stock, although at the time they were filled the distillery was trading by the name Old Fitzgerald. It would revert back upon its closure.

The Stitzel-Weller company was officially established in 1933 at the repeal of National Prohibition in the US. It was the result of a merger between the A. Ph. Stitzel distillery and its biggest customer, W.L. Weller & Sons. The Stitzel-Weller distillery opened on Kentucky Derby day in 1935, and quickly developed a reputation for its high quality wheated bourbon, and its main brands were Old Weller, Old Fitzgerald and Cabin Still. The original ownership was shared between Alex T. Farnsley, Arthur Philip Stitzel and Julian Van Winkle. The former passed-away in 1941 and 1947, respectively, leaving the Van Winkle family as the sole heirs to the business. 'Pappy' died in 1965, having handed the reigns to his son, Julian II the year prior, who ran it until 1972 when the board of directors forced him to sell it to the Norton-Simon subsidiary, Somerset Imports. When they were bought over by the American arm of Scottish distillers, DCL, its subsequent iteration invested heavily in bourbon. So much so in fact, that their newly rebuilt Bernheim distillery had such capacity that Stitzel-Weller was rendered surplus to requirements. It was shut down in 1992. Still part of the Diageo portfolio, it has never re-opened and instead now houses the visitor experience for their Bulleit brand.

Yamazaki Bordeaux Wine Cask 2020 Edition

Suntory’s flagship distillery, Yamazaki was founded by Shinjiro Torii in 1923. The town of Yamazaki was chosen to be the site of Japan’s first commercial distillery due to its very ‘Scottish’ climate, and with it being an area where three rivers converge. In its early days, Yamazaki produced both malt and grain for Suntory's blends, but the opening of the Chita distillery in 1972 allowed the company to focus on its single malt brand. It is now one of the world's most desirable. The first spirit ran from the stills in 1924, on 11th November at 11:11am.

The 2020 special release matured in a Bordeaux wine cask as part of the Tsukuriwake selection.

Very Olde St Nick 12 Year Old Bourbon Lot #M349

The Very Olde St Nick brand is owned by InterBev, a subsidiary of Allied Lomar in California, who's other products include Rare Perfection and Wattie Boone. Its president, Marci Palatella has been sourcing barrels and bottling them for several decades. She was Julian Van Winkle III's agent in the Japanese market in the 1980 and 1990s, and devised the Very Olde St Nick brand to capitalise on the Japanese demand for well-aged bourbon, which fortuitously was not popular in the US. Her first bottles were produced for her by Van Winkle at his Old Commonwealth bottling facility in the late 1980s.

At this time however, Van Winkle did not have a wealth of aged stock in his warehouses, and Palatella instead turned to Evan Kulsveen's Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), who bottled Olde St Nick throughout the 1990s and early 2000s at the then-silent Willett distillery in Bardstown. KBD sourced most of their barrels from neighbours, Heaven Hill, although Kulsveen had joked in the past that their warehouses contained bourbon from every distillery in Kentucky except his own. Van Winkle was not finished with the Very Olde St Nick story however, and put Palatella in touch with representatives at United Distillers who sold InterBev a number of ageing casks that they no longer had any interest in. Much of this was placed into a steel tanks and warehoused in California to prevent any further maturation. 

When KBD fired up the still at Willett again in 2012, they began sourcing less casks from elsewhere, reserving the best stock for their own Willett Family Reserve label. Essentially cut off, the production of Very Olde St Nick moved to California where some of the tanked Stitzel-Weller casks were bottled by Frank-Lin Distillers.

In 2018, Palatella opened the Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. A small craft-distillery operating a pot still, its produces only a few barrels each day. The bottling of Very Olde St Nick now takes places there, and will eventually contain the distillery's own whiskey.

This 12 year old was bottled by KBD and exported to Japan.